Omaha daily bee., 1887-06-08
A START IN. CRIME.
Story ofa Wharf Rebbery Ten Years
Ago and Its Eject.

let, and he brought out little faded
newspaper slip which simply read
Some time last night. between the
rounds OF the watchman, a gang Of river
thieves robbed - wharf, on the Della.
ware, of $500 worth OF goods"
That may be all it was worth to the
reading public, my friend" he went on,
but II looked to me then like dlsposing
of one OF the greatest crimes of 1876 with
q mere mention, I'll tell you why. Twas
one of the gang, us the newspapers
called 1t, and 1t was my first and last
theft"
This man who chose thus to commit
himself is fairly educated. He is clever,
and his one night of crime has removed
him slowly during a decade OF years to
the other extreme-.that of piety. "Now,
listen,' he said, and will give you tho
inside history of that wharf robbery.
"On the morning of August II, 1876, l
was loaiing in Quinn's saloon, who, by
the way is dead now. had been out Of
work for months. The friends l had made
while idling came in and drank with
them. They were Ike Watson and Bill
Mooney. We drank twice, but not on
me, for 1 had nothing. They went out
side and thought they had gone, when
Ike put his head in the door and called
to me:
"'Tom, want YER When reached
the pavement Mooney was standing there
with him, and Ike said:
"'How are times with your Poor
enough, replied.
"'How would you like to make a
raiser he asked. l pushed my toe out
through, my old shoe and said; We'll, 1
should
"'Well, you go with US tonight, and
we will give You a chance l shuddered,
f0r l. hot ~ ~ l,ny, 10 N,N-
son or his pal said that.
"Well, come, what do you say9' All
right. What are you going to dog'
"'Never mind that. Be at Twenty
second and Lombard at o'clock sharp.
81 was there and Ike was waiting. We
jumped on car and rode to Second
street, got out and walked rapidly down
town. When near Greenwich Ike cut
across the fields until we reached the
river bank: Then he stopped and gave a
long whistle. An answer came from the
water, and skitf backed up to the bank.
Bill Mooney was at the oars. We got IN
and rowed out into the stream short
distance and anchored.
"The two men began conversing, and
from what they said learned that one of
the freight wharves on the Delaware
river was to be robbed, and that they
would have to wait until high water.
was not consulted, and as we sat there IN
the night, with the boat rocking on the
swell, l had chance to think, but think
ing made coward of me, and won
dered at their nerve.
ut was II o'clock when the anchor
was hauled in by Ike, while Mooney
muffled the oars. Silently he rowed up
the river past the old navy yard, cling
ing the while to the shore, and suddenly
Ike turned to me and said: Hey, Tom,
there's the wharf; dye see it?"
"He pointed to a big one, partly Gov
cred by shed, and the skiif was pulled
under the stern ofia ship that lay at the
twenty minutes, and finally ! heard Ike
whisper to his pal: There he is. l looked
at the end of the wharf and saw the
light of lantern tinsh out on the water,
and gradually grow DINNER and dlsap.
pear. 1t was the old watchman making
his rounds.
Now said Ike, who was the NOV.
ing spirit. The boat was backed up
stream until 1t touched the end of the
wharf. Ike sprang on shore and whls-
he returned and said; to me, Come on
Tom, get out, but first pass up that bow
line.' l did so, and taking me by the
arm he led me through a narrow pas
sage made by piles of boxes and bales,
and stationlng me behind large box,
said. pointing toward the watchhouse:
you keep your eyes there, and if you see
anyone coming slip back and let me
know quick: II he comes on TOO quickly
mash him in the head with this He
handed me an iron rod.
"'What, kill him?' gasped. Yes, kill
him. Dead men tell no tales With
that he left me, and as stood there
watching the lamp in the watch-box his
last words rang in my ears and terrified
me. trembled at every shadow until
he came IN again, and motioned me to
follow him.
We went to the boat, got In and pushed
off. l noticed that the little craft was
coils. When we reached Dickinson street
wharf, Ike got ashore and said he would
meet us at old Gray's ferry landing with
horse and wagon.
Mooney and myself rowed around to
the mouth of the Schuykili, and rowed
up that river, against the tide,to the place
appointed. 1t was almost daylight, and
we hadn't waited long when Ike came IN
covered wagon driven by another man.
We transferred the goods g.S; , from 1.-THE, the boat s
aside and said: Tom, it won't do for
you to 90 with US to sell these things.
The people we deal with are little queer
and if they saw strange man with us
they wouldn't buy. We will meet you at
Quinn's saloon at 10 O'Clock this morning
and whack up
"'Do you Think you can get rid OF
them?' asked. He laughed. Get rid OF
themg Why, know two men near Cal
lowhill street bridge who'd buy an en-
gine and tram of cars if we took them to
him.
II was at Quinn's saloon at ~ o'clock,
but it was in the afternoon before they
came. We drank as though we had met
accidentally, and Ike, calling me aside,
handed me a $40 bill and said: we got
$35 for the stuff and had to give the driver
S. of it, looked ut him moment,
pocketed the money and walked away
disgusted, determined never to risk my
life again as river thief for the sum of
$1O."
That's tho story in detail. Mooney
is serving term in Sing Sing
now for burglary. Zte; Watson is sa sup
peared suddenly and ehe boat he had
been using was found in the river half
filled with water and loaded with scrap